Dispensing device



Jan. 13, 194:5.

w. -RABKIN DISPENSING DEVICE Filed 'May s, 194;

A 2 sheets-sheet 1 Srwentor.

W: LmAr/g 'RA-BNN Il INI 1.11.12, 1943. Kw,V RABKIN 2,307,955

' y DISPENSING DEVICE Fld May 3, 1941 sheets-sheet 2 l Il nl lull/14 l l I l l I lll- FILME :inventor Wmmnm RABMN Mdm/ ' Cittorneg Patented Jan. 12, 1943 UNITED STATES AZA'EB'I OFFICE DISPENSING DEVICE William Rabkin, Kew Gardens, N. Y.

Application May 3, 1941, Serial No. 391,645

14 Claims.

This invention relates to dispensing devices and, more particularly, to dispensing devices of the type provided in vending cabinets.

One object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing device having article-ejecting means constructed and arranged to engage the articles at the bottom of the stack in the magazine without `the provision of spring means for positioning the article-engaging member. More particularly, in accordance with this object of the invention the article-ejecting member is mounted and arranged so that it is movable by gravity to a position for engaging the rear edges of the articles at the bottom of the stack in the magazine of the vending cabinet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispensing device which is supported for movement below the stack of articles in the magazine in such manner that the operation of the articleejecting member is independent of the weight of the articles in said magazine.

A yet further object of the invention is generally to provide a vending cabinet including dispensing means of improved construction and operation.

The above objects of the invention and other objects which might hereinafter appear will be best understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a iront View of a vending cabinet embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front View, on a larger scale, of the lower part of one of the magazines and of the associated dispensing device embodying .the present invention, said magazine and vending device being removed frorn the cabinet;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View, on a larger scale, on line 3--3 of Fig. 1 showing the ejecting mechanism in position at the rear of the magazine, pursuant to the inward movement of the coin slide following the insertion of a coin;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the article-ejecting member;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 3 showing the position of the article-ejecting mechanism at the start of its inward movement:

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the magazine and of the ejecting mechanism associated therewith;

Fig. 7 is a rear view of ,the lower part of the magazine and of the associated article-ejecting mechanism;

Fig. 8 is a side view ofthe lower part of the magazine;

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of a follower-weight and device for preventing operation of the machine when the supply of articles is exhausted.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the cabinet G, which may be of any suitable construction, has mounted therein a plurality of magazines l2 constituting means for holding a plurality of articles here shown as cards I4 in stacked relation. While the magazine, as, here shown, is provided with two magazines it will be understood that it may have only one magazine and that it may have more than two magazines. The front of the cabinet is provided with a removable closure member I5 having a window i8 through which the articles in the magazines may be observed. Said cabinet is also provided with a front member 20 intended to be permanently fastened in position and having attached thereto the mounting plates 22 for the coin slides 24.

-As will be understood from the following description, each coin slide 24 constitutes an actuator for a companion ejection mechanism or device. The magazine l2 at the right of the cabinet (viewing Fig. l) is for the purpose of illustration Vshown almost depleted, there being only a few cards I4 therein as illustrated in Fig. 3.

Magazine I2 is preferably formed oi metal and comprises vertical side walls 2S, a rear wall 28, and a bottom 30. Said bottom of the magazine -has an opening 32 formed therein to provide laterally spaced longitudinally extending shelf-like portions 34. The rear wall 28 of the magazine has a bottom cut-out 35 for the passage of parts of the article-ejecting means between parts 34 as will hereinafter more clearly appear. Said bottom 39 also includes a portion St which projects iorwardly of the front of the magazine and is positioned in a groove 38 formed in member 2D of the front of the cabinet. Side walls 26 of the magazine have out-turned anges 42 to which vertically extending metal strips 44 are secured in position to engage the front edges of cards I4. A metal strap 46 is secured to the lower ends of strips 44 adjacent the bottom 30 of the magazine and the lower edge of said strap 465 is spaced above bottom portion 3S to form a slot 48, thereby to provide cabinet I@ with an outlet opening from each magazine. i

Bottom 30 is provided with downturned flanges 49 which are secured to adjacent side walls Z, respectively, preferably by being welded thereto. Longitudinally extending angle supports 50 are secured to ilanges 49 preferably by welding the vertical parts 52 of said supports to said flanges, the horizontal parts 54 of said supports being spaced a short distance from the lower surface of bottom 30 to provide longitudinally extending guide slots 55 adjacent eachside wall 28 of the magazine. Laterally spaced parts 34 of bottom 3@ of the magazine and horizontal parts 54 of supports 58 thus constitute means forming a guide, below bottom 30, for the ejecting mechanism 58 which will now be described.

The ejecting mechanism comprises a cross bar 6D which is movable in guide slots 58, the end portions of said cross bar being slidably mounted and supported on parts 54 of supports 50 in position between the latter and the laterally spaced parts 34 of bottom 38 of the magazine. A carrier 62 constituted by a metal strap has a forward portion 64 which is secured to the upper surface of cross bar 66, a downwardly and rearwardly inclined part B6 which carries the article-ejecting member E8, and a rear part 'lll which is detachably connected to the rear end of the coin slide 24. The forward part 64 is secured to cross bar G0 preferably by being welded thereto, and preferably the upper surface of said part 64 is somewhat below the upper surface of bottom 3E! of the magazine so that the weight of the stack of cards or other articles I4 is supported by said bottom and not by the ejecting mechanism. The forward end 65 of part 84 is curved downwardly in order to avoid edge contact with the surface of the bottom article in the magazine. The rear end portion T of supporting member 66 is connected to the coin slide S by screws 'I2 and spacing washers I4. It will be understood that coin slide 24 is slidable in a guide 1B which is formed rigidly with mounting plate 22 whereby said coin slide 24 and support 66 are held firmly against lateral movement. 'Ihe article-ejecting member 68 is constituted by a. rigid blade which is carried by and pivotally mounted on supporting member 62 and, more particularly, on the inclined part 65 of the latter. For this purpose a hinge plate 'E8 is securely fixed to the upper surface of inclined part 66 of the supporting member, preferably by being welded thereto, and member 68 is connected to the companion hinge plate 8f3, the latter being pivotally connected to hinge plate 'I8 by a pivot pin or pintle 82. Member 68 is adjustably secured to hinge plate 88 by screws 84 which pass through slots 86 in said member and are threaded into openings 88 in said hinge plate. Slots 86 permit adjustment of blade 68 to raise and lower the forward end 90 thereof whereby to position the latter to engage either the rear edge` of the lowest article of the stack or the corresponding edge of an article thereabove so that in the operation of the coin slide either one or more than one of the articles can be dispensed.

It will be observed that the article-ejecting member constituted by blade 6B is biased by gravity to turn in a counterclockwise direction (viewing Fig. 3), so that when the coin slide is'in. its rearwardly projected position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, said article-ejecting member is properly positioned for engagement with the articles at the bottom of the magazine, whereby when the coin slide is moved forwardly, said forward end 90 of blade 68 engages the rear edge of the article to be dispensed and moves the latter through the outlet slot opening 48, the lowermost card or cards being projected forwardly of the front of the cabinet so that the purchaser can grasp and remove the cards from the cabinet.

The coin slide can be of any suitable type, for example, such as that shown in United States Letters Patent Nos. 1,908,380 and 1,908,752. In

the operation of a coin slide of this type, when a coin is inserted the slide is released for movement rearwardly of the cabinet to position the article-ejecting mechanism 58 at the rear of the companion magazine, as illustrated in Fig. 3, after which the forward movement of the coin slide is effective to cause the ejection of one or more of the cards depending upon the adjustment of ejecting-blade 68, the final forward position of blade 68 being a short distance forwardly of the position illustrated in Fig. 5. Upon the next operation of the coin slide, blade 68 is moved rearwardly together with the support or carrier 62 and also has an independent pivotal movement on said carrier from the position illustrated in Fig. 3 to approximately the position illustrated in Fig. 5. It will be observed that the only pressure upwardly on the lowermost card of the stack during the rear movement of the article-ejected mechanism is the small turning force of the weight of blade 68 at the rear of the pivot pin 82.

Each magazine is provided with a device 92 having a slidable pin 94. Said device 92 rests on the top of the stack of articles in the magazine, and so long as there is a card or other article in the magazine, pin 94 is supported in upwardly projected position. In the event, however, that the supply of articles or other articles in the magazine is depleted, pin 94 slides downwardly into position behind the rear edge of coin slide 24 and prevents operation of the coin slide, thus enabling the prospective purchaser to remove the coin from the slide. Device 92 also constitutes a weightfollower for the articles in the magazine.

Thus it is seen that the above described dispensing device is Well adapted to accomplish the several objects of the invention. It will be understood, however, that while I have described the preferred embodiment of the invention the latter may be embodied otherwise than as here specifically shown or described and that in the illustrated embodiment certain changes in the details of construction and in the arrangement of parts may be made. Therefore I do not wish to be limited to the construction and arrangement herein shown or described, except to the extent which may be required by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a dispensing device having means for holding a plurality of articles in stacked relation, said holding means including a bottom support for sustaining the weight of the stacked articles, means forming a guide below said support, a member movable in said guide forwardly and rearwardly thereof, an actuating member mounte ed for movement and connected to said first mentioned member for moving the same in said guide, and an article-ejecting member movable forwardly and rearwardly with said first mentioned member, said article-ejecting memberv being also movable in relation to said first men tioned member in directions toward and away from the bottom of the stack and operable to engage the articles at the bottom of the stack and to exert a force thereon substantially only in the direction of the plane of the bottom of the stack for ejecting said articles from said holding means when said actuating member is operated. y

2. In a dispensing device having means for holding a plurality of articles in stacked relation, said holding means including a bottom support for sustaining the weight of thestacked articles, means forming a guide below said support, a member movable in said guide forwardly and rearwardly thereof, an actuating member mounted for movement and connected to said first mentioned member for moving the same in said guide, an article-ejecting member movable forwardly and rearwardly with said rst mentioned member, and means mounting said ejecting member for pivotal movement in relation to said first mentioned member and in position to engage the articles at the bottom of the stack and to exert a force thereon substantially only in the direction of the plane of the bottom of the stack for ejecting said articles from said holding means when said actuating member is operated.

3. In a dispensing device having means for holding a plurality of articlesin stacked relation,

said holding means including a bottom support` for sustaining the weight of the stacked articles,

means forming a guide below said support, a

member movable in said guide forwardly and rearwardly thereof, an actuating member mounted for movement below said first mentioned member and connected to said rst mentioned member for moving the same in said guide, an article-ejecting member movable forwardly and rearwardly with said first mentioned member, and means mounting said ejecting member for pivotal movement in relation to said rstmentioned member and in position to engage the articles at the bottom of the stack and to exert a force thereon substantially only in the direction of the plane of the bottom of the stacl: for ejecting said articles from said holding means when said actuating member is operated, said ejecting member being biased by gravity to article-engaging position when said first mentioned member is moved rearwardly to a position in which said ejecting member is rearwardly of the rear edges of said articles at the bottom of the stack.

4. In a dispensing device having means for holding a plurality of articles in stacked relation, said holding means including a bottom support for sustaining the weight of the stacked articles, said bottom support including parts laterally spaced from each other, laterally spaced supporting members disposed below said spaced parts, respectively, and forming guideways therewith, a transverse member supported at its opposite ends on said supporting members and movable forwardly and rearwardly in said guideways, an actuating member mounted for movebent below said transverse member and connected thereto, and an ejecting member mounted for movement with said transverse member and having a forward end releasably engageable with the rear edges of the articles at the bottom of the stack, said article-ejecting member being also movable in relation to said first mentioned member in directions toward and away from the bottom of the stack and operable to engage the articles at the bottom of the stack and to exert a force thereon substantially only in the direction of the plane of the bottom of the stack for ejecting said articles from said holding means when said actuating member is operated, said ejecting member being movable to a plane inclined upwardly toward the bottom of the stack to position said forward end for said engagement with said articles.

5. In a dispensing device having means for holding a plurality of articles in stacked relation, said holding means including a bottom support for sustaining the weight of the stacked articles, said bottom support including parts laterally spaced from each other, laterally spaced supporting members disposed below said spaced parts, respectively, and forming guideways therewith, a transverse member supported at its op-` posite ends on said supporting members and movable forwardly and rearwardly in said guideways, an actuator slide mounted for movement below said transverse member, an upwardly eX- tending member connecting the rear part of said actuator slide to said transverse member for actuating the latter, and an article-ejecting member hingedly connected to said upwardly extending member in position to engage its forward end with an article at the bottom of the stack when the actuator slide is moved rearwardly and to eject said article at least partially from said holding means during the return or forward stroke of said actuator slide.

6. In a dispensing device having means for holding a plurality of articles in stacked relation, said holding means including a bottom support for sustaining the weight of the stacked articles, said bottom support including parts laterally spaced from each other, laterally spaced supporting members disposed below said spaced parts, respectively, and forming guideways therewith, a transverse member supported at its opposite ends on said supporting members and movable forwardly and rearwardlyin said guideways, an actuator slide mounted for movement below said transverse member for actuating the latter, an upwardly extending member connecting the rear part of said actuator slide to said transverse member, and an article-ejecting member hingedly connected to said upwardly extending member in position to engage its forward end with an article at the bottom of the stack when the actuator slide is moved rearwardly and to eject said article at least partially from said holding means during the return or forward stroke of said actuator slide, said ejecting member being movable by gravity to said articleengaging position when said actuator slide is moved rearwardly.

'7. In a dispensing device having means for holding a plurality of articles in stacked relation, said holding means including a bottom support for sustaining the weight of the stacked articles, said bottom support including parts laterally spaced from each other, an article-ejecting member movable between said spaced parts from a retracted position at the rear of said stack to a projected position for ejecting the articles at least partially from the stack, said article-ejecting member having a forward end releasably engageable with said articles at the bottom ofthe stack, means mounting said article-ejecting member for said movement thereof, means mounting said ejecting member for movement thereof by gravity to present said forward end automatically in position to engage said articles when said ejecting member is in said retracted position, and an actuator slide for moving said article-ejecting member from retracted to projected position.

8. In a dispensing device having means for holding a plurality of articles in stacked relation, said holding means including a bottom support for sustaining the weight of the stacked articles, said bottom support including parts laterally spaced from each other, an article-ejectng member movable between said spaced parts from a retracted position at the rear of said stack to a projected position for ej ecting the articles at least partially from the stack, said article-ejecting member having a forward end releasably engageable with said articles at the bottom of the stack, means mounting said article-ejecting member for said movement thereof, means pivotally mounting said ejecting member for movement thereof by gravity to present said forward end automatically in position to engage said articles when said ejecting member is in-said retracted position, and an actuator slide for moving said article-ejecting member from retracted to projected position, said article-ejecting member, in its return movement from said projected position to said retracted position, engaging the bottom article of the stack substantially without pressure thereagainst.

9. In a dispensing device having a holder for a stack of cards or other at articles, said holder having a bottom on which said articles are supported in stacked relation, an actuator slide mounted below said bottom of the article holder, article-ejecting means connected to said slide for movement therewith and including a member adapted to engage the articles at the bottom of the stack, whereby said article-ejecting means is actuated by said actuator slide, and stationary means above said slide and below said bottom of the holder for slidably supporting said articleejecting means.

10. in a dispensing device having a holder for a stack of cards or other ilat articles, said holder having a bottom on which said articles are supported in stacked relation, an actuator slide mounted below said'bottom of the article holder,

article-ejecting means carried by said slide for movement therewith whereby said article-ejecting means is actuated by said actuator slide, said article-ejecting means including a pivotally mounted member biased by gravity to a position for engaging the articles at the bottom of the stack when said slide is in a predetermined position, and stationary means above said slide and below said bottom of the holder for slidably supporting said article-ejecting means.

11. In a dispensing device having a holder for a stack of cards or other flat articles, said holder having a bottom on which said articles are supported in stacked relation, an article-ejecting member mounted for movement from a retracted position to a projected position and return, and actuating means for moving said article-ejecting member to and from said positions, said articleejecting member being also mounted for movement in directions toward and away from the bottom of the stack and operable to engage the articles at the bottom of the stack and to exert a force thereon substantially only in the direction of the plane of the bottom of the stack for ejecting said articles from said holding means when said actuating means is operated.

12. In a dispensing device having a holder for a stack of cards or other nat articles, said holder having a bottom on which said articles are supportedA in stacked relation, an article-ejecting member mounted for movement from a retracted position to a projected position and return, and actuating means for moving said article-ejecting member to and from said positions, said articleejecting member being also mounted for pivotal movement in directions toward and away from the bottom of the stack and operable to engage the articles at the bottom of the stack and to exert a force thereon substantially only in the direction ofthe plane of the bottom of the stack for ejecting said articles from said holding means when said actuating means is operated, said article-ejecting member being pivotally movable by gravity to article-engaging position when said article-ejecting member is in its said retracted position.

13. In a dispensing device having means for holding a plurality of articles in stacked relation, said holding means including a bottom support for sustaining the weight of the stacked articles, means forming a guide below said support, a member movable in said guide forwardly and rearwardly thereof, an actuating member mounted for movement below said first mentioned member, a downwardly and rearwardly inclined part rigidly connecting said two members, and an article-ejeoting member pivotally mounted on said inclined part and movable therewith and in relation thereto, said ejecting member being biased by gravity to a position in which it is inclined downwardly and rearwardly and has an upper part positioned to engage the articles at the bottom of the stack and to exert a force thereon substantially only in the direction of the plane of the bottom of the stack for ejecting said articles from said holding means when said actuating member is operated.

14. In a dispensing device having means for holding a plurality of articles in stacked relation, said holding means including a bottom support for sustaining the weight of the stacked articles, article-ejecting means for moving articles from the bottom of the stack outwardly of said holding means substantially independently of the weight of the stacked articles in the holder, said article-ejecting means comprising a member mounted for reciprocatory movement from a retracted position to a projected position and return and mounted also for movement in directions toward and away from the bottom of the stack, said member having a part which is projected upwardly by the pivotal movement of said member, in position to engage the articles edgewise thereof at the bottom of the stack when said member is in its said retracted position and during the movement of said member to its said projected positionand to exert pressure on said articles substantially only in the direction of the movement thereof from the stack, and means for reciprocating said article-ejecting member.

WILLIAM RABKIN. 

